We thank each person for placing their trust in us
Penumbra Mental Health has today released its impact report for 2022/23. Making a Difference can be found here. Its key findings are:
- In 2022/23 the charity supported 12,649 people
- The charity has 77 services across 23 health and social care partnership areas
- And has just launched the new Hope Point 24/7 crisis centre in Dundee
- Penumbra continues to put lived experience at its heart employing 26% peer colleagues
- The report introduces ‘The Penumbra Approach’
Pioneering charity Penumbra Mental Health has today published its impact report for 2022/23. Making a Difference reveals that the charity supported 12,649 people in 22/23 which is double the number of people since 2020. The charity has 77 services across 23 health and social care partnership areas, including two 24/7 crisis centres: the Edinburgh Crisis Centre, and recently opened Hope Point in Dundee.
The shows that the charity remains a pioneer in the peer movement by having 26% of its team members employed in peer support roles.
The charity was proud to use the report to introduce ‘The Penumbra Approach’ to mental health recovery which outlines the 4 areas that are integral to how they support people: lived experience and peer working; trauma informed; person centred; and I.ROC (the charity’s own validated recovery outcome tool).
Penumbra Mental Health is a pioneering charity providing dedicated services for people experiencing mild to serious and enduring mental ill health. More: penumbra.org.uk.
Head of Innovation & Improvement Stephen Finlayson commented:
“Reaching twice as many people since 2020 is a source of both pride and more sombre reflection. We never forget that every one of the 12,649 people who used our services this year has experienced a significant level of difficulty with their mental health.
Many will have experienced times of substantial crisis, distress, and profoundly painful emotional experiences. Many will have continued to live with long term, complex mental health difficulties. We thank all of them for placing their trust in Penumbra Mental Health to support them at these most challenging points of life.
But numbers only tell us part of the story. We’re delighted that so many of the people we have worked with identify so strongly in their feedback that this support has shown the best of our values – that each person has had the time, space, and compassion to explore their current mental health difficulties.
And we absolutely could not be prouder of our skilled and compassionate teams. Throughout the years of the pandemic, and the emergence into the new post-covid world, they are the ones who have walked alongside people on their recovery journey and providing an exceptional standard of support.
We thank all of them for placing their trust in Penumbra Mental Health to support them at these most challenging points of life.
The charity’s CEO Mike Burns added:
“The human and compassionate approach of our highly skilled teams is the reason we’re able to support people through their most difficult times. It’s why people choose us for new services. And it’s why we’re able to create meaningful change across Scotland.
Ultimately our hope is to make a difference in people’s lives. That’s why people and their lived experiences will always be central to everything we do. Listening to and working side by side with people, and evidencing each unique experience in this way helps shape our work and keeps us learning.”
Chair of the Board of Trustees Colin Briggs added:
“I became a Board member of Penumbra about 7 years ago. Much has changed in that time. What hasn’t, is that we have incredibly dedicated, skilled and compassionate people in our teams across Scotland. Every number in this report is a person, living their life in a way that fits with their choices and ambitions. We don’t support people the way we think we should. We support people according to what they want to get out of life.”
Here are some of the things people have said about the support they received:
“Working closely with Natalie, a Recovery Practitioner, has changed my life. I felt for the first time in a long time, excited and hopeful for the future.”
“For years I had suppressed my emotions and my identity, but to be able to explain it to someone and offload, it helped me to start thinking in a different way, a less negative way.”
“She was a listening ear, she let me express my feelings. She was also guiding, she would pull me back when I was beating myself up and helped me stop to think about it.”
Here are some of the things our partners have said about us:
“The camaraderie between the team is a joy to watch- they have a supportive team vibe which I feel part of as well now and very welcome to staff and all residents. They also convey genuine care and compassion towards all residents.”
“It is evident that all staff are knowledgeable, compassionate and committed to the care and support they are providing to individuals. My patient continues to thrive with their support tailored to her individual needs. There is an aura of positivity and friendliness as soon as you walk in the door!”
“Penumbra’s ethos of delivering recover-focused support was very much at the heart of this service. People were supported with a compassionate and non-judgemental staff team, regardless of where they were on their recovery journey.”
Making a difference in mental health recovery: The Penumbra Approach (our impact in 2022/23) can be found here: Making a Difference.
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